Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Interview with Stella Atrium

Q: How is it going with the
release of Book III in a fantasy series?

Atrium: StrikeStone just
entered the pipeline for distribution the first week of July 2013, so sales
can’t be tracked yet. We did a Goodreads giveaway for Book I -- titled
SufferStone -- that got great response, though.

Q: What are the drawbacks to
writing a series?

Atrium: Well, my stories are
about the women, so there are fewer battle scenes and gory deaths. Characters
include the fate of the set-aside wife, or a tribeswoman who maneuvers behind the
scenes to promote her son as leader, or a businesswoman who courts the men
while she ignores the talents of her niece.The battles mostly take place over the hill while the women
try to gather remnants to hold together a society.

Q: Sci-fi fans don’t like
stories about women?

Atrium: That depends on
where you look for fans.Not to
speak against Reddit, but I’ve had more luck with engaging fans on GoodReads
and World Literary Cafe.Also some
readers don’t start with a fantasy series until at least three books are in
print.

Q: Are more books planned
for the Dolvia Saga?

Atrium: Book IV -- titled
SignalStone -- is mostly written, but I’m polishing the last section to
foreshadow Book V that’s just underway this summer.

Q: Does the reader need to
read the first two books to understand events in StrikeStone?

Atrium: Thanks you for
asking. Rabid Readers Reviews read an advanced copy claimed she understood
StrikeStone just fine without the first two, but she wanted to go back, then,
and pick them up to read. I hope other readers have a similar reaction.

Q: How many books in the
series are planned altogether?

Atrium: Six is a good
number. It’s important to complete some story threads for each book, but leave
the reader wondering about what happened to other characters.

Q: How do you balance all
those characters and keep them clear in your head?

Atrium: Each character has
her own quirks and way of seeing the world. Tribespeople on Dolvia have a tight
community where each is needed to balance the harmony. I like to allow them to
grow and see how each acts in a crisis or as an adult after some catastrophe.
The characters are people to me, so I’m always returning to see what happens
next.